The worldwide phase out of animal agriculture and a shift to a plant-based diet could effectively halt the increase of atmospheric greenhouse gases for 30 years, providing humanity with more options to minimize their environmental impact. Vegan diets have been found to create 75 less greenhouse gas emissions than meat-heavy diets, making them a primary reason for people to go vegan.
Meat and dairy accounts for around 14.5 of global greenhouse gas emissions, so changing what we eat can help reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable farming. A study published in New Scientist magazine shows that each person can reduce the amount of greenhouse gases their diet contributes to climate. Going vegan can significantly reduce dietary greenhouse gas emissions, as meat-eaters are approximately twice as high as those in vegans.
Phasing out animal agriculture over the next 15 years would have the same effect as a 68% reduction of carbon dioxide emissions through the year 2100. Detailed analysis finds that plant diets lead to 75 less climate-heating emissions, water pollution, and land use than meat-rich ones. Some studies show that choosing vegetarian options would only reduce greenhouse gas emissions per person by 3, while others show a reduction in emissions per person.
Researchers examined the diets of 55,500 people and found that vegans are responsible for 75% less in greenhouse gases than meat-eaters. A University of Chicago study even showed that going vegan can reduce one’s carbon footprint more effectively than switching from a conventional car.
In conclusion, vegan diets have the greatest potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 35 to 50.
📹 How could veganism change the world?
Interest in vegan food and its associated health benefits has been booming across the rich world. A global retreat from meat could …
Is it better to go vegan or stop flying?
A comparison of a vegetarian diet and a meat-based diet over a one-year period has demonstrated that flying is linked to high greenhouse gas emissions. The financial benefits of the change outweigh the costs of a single round trip from Frankfurt to London.
Do vegans produce more methane than meat eaters?
A study found that vegan diets had 93 lower emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas produced by cattle and sheep, compared to high-meat diets. The UK Health Alliance on Climate Change recommended in 2020 that sustainable diets should be supported by mandatory environmental labelling, promotion regulation, and taxation of high-carbon foods. The government emphasizes that people should make their own decisions about their food choices, as well-managed livestock also provide environmental benefits like biodiversity support and income generation for rural communities.
Who will live longer vegans or meat-eaters?
A review of vegans and vegetarians in the UK, Germany, the US, and Japan found that they have a lower risk of death from all causes compared to omnivores. A study of Seventh Day Adventists in North America found that vegetarians and vegans may have a 12 lower risk of death compared to those who eat meat, as they are typically plant-based, rich in whole foods, and free from alcohol and caffeine.
Will going vegan really save the planet?
Veganism can save 200 animals per year, 1. 3 million gallons of water, and 1. 5 tons of carbon emissions, and can feed many more people than an animal-based diet. While not everyone can become vegan, those with access to nutritious plant-based options can decrease their meat consumption. Consuming more meat is generally healthier for humans and the planet. When purchasing animal products, it is important to buy from local, regenerative projects that value animal wellbeing, the climate, and the earth. Consuming fewer animal products is a small but powerful decision that many can make, but the responsibility should not be entirely on the consumer.
Can a vegan diet fight global warming?
Vegan diets can significantly reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions by replacing half of all animal-based meals with vegan ones. This could reduce emissions by 35 by switching to vegan diets. Alternative dairy products like soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, and oat milk have less environmental impact than conventional dairy products. Additionally, animal husbandry contributes to land degradation, as excessive grazing causes water and nutrient loss, leading to unusable desert land. Farmland used to grow corn and other foods for farmed animals, particularly cattle, is also a significant contributor to land degradation.
How much CO2 does going vegan save?
A vegetarian diet has been demonstrated to result in the saving of approximately 100 kilograms of carbon dioxide per year, 153 kilograms per year, and 143 kilograms per year, respectively. Furthermore, a vegan diet has been shown to result in the saving of nearly 231 kilograms of carbon dioxide per year. Even if one does not consume meat or fish, transitioning from a vegetarian to a vegan diet can still result in significant reductions in CO2 emissions on an annual basis.
A vegan diet comprising one day per week can result in a reduction of approximately 50 kg of CO₂ per year. Furthermore, a vegan diet comprising one week per month can lead to a reduction of approximately 80 kg of CO₂ per year.
Is going vegan actually healthy?
Vegan diets can fulfill all the nutritional requirements needed for good health, including vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids. However, vegans must ensure they consume adequate portions of these foods and avoid restricting their diets to foods grown on low selenium levels. Vegan diets can be adequate for all human beings, including children, as long as they are high in energy density, easy to digest, and not excessive in fiber.
Well-planned vegan diets may be healthier than other diets, but no studies exist where omnivores share similar genetic profiles, lifestyle patterns, and social and environmental factors with a significant number of vegans. A meta-analysis of seven prospective cohort studies found that all-cause mortality was 9 lower among vegetarians.
Evidence suggests that people who consume large quantities of fruits and vegetables, which are more prominent in vegan diets, live longer than those who do not do so. A Finnish study of 2, 641 men aged between 42 and 60 found that those within the highest fifth for intake of fruits (including berries) and vegetables had a relative risk for all-cause death that was 34 lower than that of those in the lowest fifth.
Several other studies found a positive association between diets that are relatively high in the consumption of fruits and vegetables, such as the traditional Mediterranean diet of people living in Pioppi (Italy) up to about four decades ago, and a reduction in mortality.
As diets that include a large proportion of fruits and vegetables have been shown to be healthier than diets that include relatively few of these foods, it has been estimated that a large number of premature deaths could be prevented amongst populations that consume large quantities of animal products by increasing the consumption of plant foods.
Does being vegetarian reduce carbon footprint?
Vegetarianism can significantly reduce one’s carbon footprint by over 50%, equivalent to driving 1, 300 miles less per year. In the average European diet, meat, eggs, and dairy account for 83% of GHG emissions. Switching to a vegetarian diet can significantly reduce environmental impact, as the incentive to deforest lands and change them for livestock farming becomes less appealing.
However, not everyone can switch to a vegetarian diet due to cultural, economic, religious, and health reasons. However, reducing meat intake by two days a week could have a positive impact on the environment. Alternating to plant-sourced proteins could reduce one’s carbon footprint by almost 25%. For example, eating 100 grams of protein from tofu instead of beef would reduce carbon emissions by 16 times.
Could the earth sustain if everyone was vegan?
Currently, 68% of farmland is used for livestock, but planting a fifth of it with crops could produce the same amount of food as all animals. This would leave 26 million square kilometers of land for meadow or forest planting, improving biodiversity. If meat were eliminated, around eight million fewer people would die each year due to lower heart disease, strokes, and cancer rates. However, most crops have lower micronutrient levels per calorie than meat, so crops would need to be adjusted to avoid malnutrition.
Can the world survive on a vegan diet?
Elimination of meat consumption would result in approximately eight million fewer deaths annually, due to a reduction in the incidence of cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular accidents, and neoplastic disease. However, the majority of crops exhibit lower micronutrient concentrations per calorie than meat, including vitamins A, B12, D, and essential fatty acids. It would be necessary to modify the composition of crops in order to prevent the occurrence of malnutrition.
Will I live longer if I become vegan?
While there is anecdotal evidence suggesting a vegan diet may help prevent diseases, there is limited scientific research on longevity. While a vegan diet may not necessarily lead to longer life, it can still be beneficial for personal wellness. If considering a vegan diet or reducing animal products, consult with a doctor, nutritionist, or dietitian to find a plan that suits your health needs. This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice.
📹 If the US Went Vegan, A Public Health Disaster | REBUTTAL
Vegan nightmares of deficiencies? Going vegan not worth it for the environment? A closer look at the PNAS study making its way …
Several other things stood out to me, for example: 1) On the reason why burn all the leftover corn and soy: _ ‘Given the tremendous domestic demand for fruits and vegetables, if it was viable to produce more of these high-value crops in the current system, this would already be occurring. Limitations on increased fruit and vegetable production may reflect suitability of land, climate, and infrastructure to grow these crops.’_ I don’t see the brocolli industry claiming land that is now used to grow fodder. 2) When they note that in the vegan scenario, a lot more food surplus is produced: _ ‘…, whereas average energy provision was 145% or 230% of requirements in systems with or without animals, respectively. Given the obesity rate in the United States, increased consumption of food energy is not desirable’_ This one is especially made me laugh. so producing more energy output is not desirable because we have a lot of fat people already ? What about exporting the excess product ? Or converting part of the excess land in nature reserves that act as carbon sinks ?
How are we supposed to take this study seriously when both writers work for poultry and dairy?! Ridiculous. It’s absolutely biased. Also this kind of misinformation is incredibly dangerous so many thanks for debunking this nonsense point by point. It’s so frustrating to live in an era where facts are negotiable. Great article as always Mic!
An interesting article, but I think you miss one of the key aspects of how bizarre this study was. The way they evaluated the nutritional adequacy of the diets were so absurd it beggars belief. Instead of analysing diet based on how vegans eat, or would eat in an all vegan US, they “evaluated (nutritional adequacy) by using least-cost diets produced from foods available, more nutrient deficiencies, a greater excess of energy, and a need to consume a greater amount of food solids were encountered in plants-only diets.” What does that mean, exactly? They essentially took the amount of food that we produce now (including that which is used as livestock feed) and found the cheapest possible diet that would meet our macronutrient requirements. What they came up with was a vegan diet that was 85% grains, 9% vegetables, 5% fruit, and 1% legumes. I suspect that most of this grain would be corn. The daily cost of this diet would be $2.05 (assuming today’s prices would be carried forward, but that is also an unlikely assumption considering the massive increase in supply of many crops, especially corn). While vegans can be very frugal, I’ve yet to meet any that spend as little as $2 per day on food, and eat a diet almost entirely of corn. The absurdity of this study can only be matched by the delirious enthusiasm with which click-bait journalists lapped it up.
The current standard American diet is a public health disaster. Like the US going vegan over-night is really a realistic scenario and if it was I’m sure their awesome free market economy would be able to regulate the new supply and demand. Yes, it’s very likely these researchers have invested interests in the way things operate currently.
It’s funny how I used to think IRL vegans were mostly an annoying cult because none of the ones I’d spoken with could back up their claims with any evidence (or were only using animal cruelty as an argument which was not enough to convince me). I now see that it is quite the opposite and that it’s the meat eaters that are in the wrong ethically and health-wise and that human beings aren’t meant to be omnivores. I’m seriously considering going vegetarian and then completely vegan even though I love eating meat! You’ve opened my eyes to the harsh reality. Thank you Mic!
Corn stalks. Now I grow corn. What happens when I’ve finished harvesting the corn? I stand there and go “OMG! theres some stalks! Crap! What the hell am I going to do with them? If I leave them they’ll sit there forever and before long my whole property will just be corn stalks! I know I’ll set fire to them as that’s the only way to deal with such a huge problem!” Ummm…corn stalks are bio-matter. You chop them up into small pieces and work them into your soil and they disappear (as long as there’s some mositure) due to the being broken down by the action of soil bacteria/fungi worms and other soil organisms. Or preferably you make compost out of them by adding layers of fresh green matter,weeds, leaves and things like grass clippings. In 3 to 6months zero con stalks. Lovely light fresh compost you spread back over your land Man these researchers need to get out of their labs/universities in the city and get out in the fresh air and learn how the real biological world actually works! Their level of understanding is just embarrassing! Excess food? Again its bio-matter full of nutrients that can be fed back to the soil bacteria etc. I’d just re-compost on site so its nutrients go back into the cycle and help increase fertility and grow future food crops.
I saw the articles on the study a few days ago and they made me loose some brain cells with they’re inconsistencies and the imbecile comments under the articles. The study lacked reliability and was invalid as clear researcher bias was noticeable. I really wanted someone to call out the study and I’m so glad you made this article.
They mentioned this study in the news a couple of days ago, here in Mexico. I over heard them anouncing it. I didn’t watch it because I knew it was going to be biased. Every day I listen to recomdations from serious doctors in the radio, saying that white rice and white bread give you diabetes. They never mention animal products or dairy. I became vegan only 8 months ago. I know now why I couldn’t have taken that decision before: meat, egg, and dairy industries invest A LOT of time and money in hiding the truth and in misinforming people about the health and enviromental hazards of eating animal products. I’m thankful of people like you, who take this issue very seriously. You’re my favorite vegan youtuber 🙂
Hello to “The King of the Vegans” ( AKA Mic. the Vegan) This article is absolutely superb – so well put together – so well analyzed and dissected – and your case so well presented. It does takes some work (paying attention and carefully listening) to receive all that is in the article but that is a product of how rich with valuable information the article is. Thank you – Thank you – Thank you – for your excellent important high quality work
Hey Mic, great article as always. I regularly watch your articles to educate myself about the latest research pertaining to veganism and to reinforce my decision to adopt a whole-food plant-based diet. Since I’ve been a plant-based eater these last couple of months, I’ve noticed many improvements in my body and mind. Should I try reducing the amount of bread I consume? Generally, I buy a loaf of whole wheat bread as well as a few bagels per week. Should I aim to reduce my bread consumption to maximize the health benefits of plant-based foods?
I am glad to finally be aware of the horrendous practices that go on in the industry. I really cannot believe so many people just accept an animal’s death. How would they feel if they were born into the world to live shortly and then ultimately be slaughtered? People are so ignorant…and I mean that academically. It seems there is a fear of guilt that people just can’t accept so they keep living in denial…thank you for the educational articles Mic!
This may seem unrelated, but I think it matters in terms of a unified model of ALL the potential benefits of Veganism . . . I am discovering that many Vegans who go vegan for animals and the environment, first and foremost, can be very unaware of the benefits of a healthy vegan diet or what a healthy vegan diet even is. This makes them more susceptible to doubt (and challenges) around their choices. Not all vegan diets are healthy. Many simply cut out meat and dairy and move to replacement products where they then don’t reap the weight stabilizing effects, disease reversals or overall health benefits that they could. We need even more education around this.
So good, thank you for doing this. I glimpsed the articles briefly in my feed, but decided to save myself the heart attack and knew you would sift through the garbage so we didn’t have to. Nothing to add, only that yes, I believe the researchers are clearly biased, perhaps not in a sinister, deliberate manner (I am being charitable), but in academia and in science, narrow, myopic thinking is paramount. Just trees, no forest. You don’t survive (or make bank) in a publish/perish environment by making broad, conciliating statements.
Thank you so much for another excellent article, Mic! We can count on you to set the record straight every time. I absolutely think these “researchers” are biased! Something needs to be done about these “studies” that are conducted by people who are directly benefitted. The misinformation out there is so ridiculous. And then you have sites like bulletproof that pick these studies up and run with them. It’s maddening.
One thing I noticed when they talked about nutrient deficiencies, it’s because they seemed to transfer current crops growth directly from animal feed to human plates and didn’t account for the fact that current crops would be converted to a more diverse growing rotation. Nor did they account for new land opening up that was previously dedicated to grazing livestock. Such an obvious oversight that it had to be done on purpose.
Love your website, you’re awesome! The truth is coming out and eventually the momentum will be unstoppable. I also study Metaphysical science, and there is a whole other aspect that many are not aware of. And that is, any trauma that the animal went through, there is an energy signature of that when they are consumed. So the whole business of death is full-circle from a non-physical perspective as well; which is just as real, only more subtle.. The dairy industry propagates disease, which the drug industry caters to. Many people don’t truly understand the connection between diet and disease. Some of them have surgery and then are given foods in the hospital that actually contributed to their condition. Then they scratch their heads..
Let’s remember the #1 way Earth’s air gets POLLUTED…. BURNING WOOD. I spoke with one scientist who revealed that burning rain forests in South America so farmers can grow soy to feed livestock is THE major cause world wide, yet Americans love their meat so much they could care less. Speaking of vegan health, I talked to my favorite MD last night who said he lacked the ‘will power’ to go Vegan. In the next breath he said he had to sleep using a CPAP Machine.He has the will power to do that!? I wish he did not have to… maybe the power of plants would enable him to get off that nightmarish treadmill. Keep up your good work! Thank you.
I have to point out that turning corn Stover into ethanol is an inefficient process, and then using it in vehicles where it is burned inefficiently, (20% conversion), does not provide a co2 reduction. It’s really just an inefficient indirect way to burn the biomass. More efficient would be to burn the biomass directly in large generating plants to create electricity. Even better, just leave it in the fields to decay and return nutrients to the soil.
I’m so glad you made this rebuttal. Unfortunately much of the damage has been done in the general public’s eye. Good that you brought up the author’s affiliations. Also it worth mentioning that mushrooming can be used for the vegetable waste problem also as a food. Also liberated animals, they have to go somewhere, can fit ideally into farm ecology.
If you look at the recommended caloric intake they had in the appendix of the study, they had for 18 to around 40 year old men 2800 kcal/day. Not only is this way too much, but almost impossible to get with a normal vegan diet. Also they had 1300 to 1800 mg of Calcium/day, whereas the WHO recommends 500mg and the NHS in the UK 800. But maybe it’s a coincidence that one works in dairy industry research…
Mic, great post. One small point you missed was the fact that almost 40% of all grains grown are fed to livestock. The process of growing food, plowing mostly, also releases CO2 into the atmosphere. Grazing also uses a lot of land but I’m not sure how much CO2 is a problem in that case. It probably falls into the natural “carbon cycle”. Sadly, while a vegan life style for humans would go a long way toward climate stability it would not be sufficient by itself to solve our present climate dilemma. There are many natural feedback loops that have been triggered and it will take a global CONCERTED effort. Degrading CH4 over the poles and using every method of using plants to pull CO2 out of the atmosphere will the most necessary issues to address immediately.
It’s so funny really. People say all kind of things about herbivores to scare everyone, yet here we all are, living, thriving, working, and helping everyday of every year throughout history. I’ve been herbivorous for years now, no supplements, none. My Doctor can’t even believe my labs are real. He even tested more things to try to find something wrong and couldn’t. He asked me for my Oatmeal recipe. I gave it to him. He eats it every day now. People say things like it’s your genetics and all kinds of crap like that but he’s been my MD for years and he has watched my transformation and he has watched my labs and bio’s and vitals and he can no longer deny the evidence and facts in front of him. He, like many great doctors nowadays, is recommending more of a plant based nutrition plan to his patients because he knows it works and because he understands it is his responsibility to help his patients. Everyone in my family is on meds, everyone. I was going to be next, but I made one little change, then another, and another, and slowly learned how to uncondition the way I have been taught to eat. It wasn’t hard and now I teach others how and they can’t believe how easy it is. Look out world, the truth is spreading and the truth is PLANTS!!!
Hey Mike, just a heads up. “Keemi” she’s a Korean mukbanger over 600 k subs, says mukbang gave her a ton of health issues she’s backing away from them (mukbongs) until the doctor can decide specifically what’s going on. Maybe you can reach out to her, as some of us (including you) still care about these types of things as opposed to “fake Instagram photos” like some of your counterparts.
I read the article that said it would be disaster if everyone went vegan, and I couldn’t believe all of the false assumptions. When I read that they said farm waste would have to be incinerated, I thought “I guess they don’t know composting exists”. Also, the matter that is produced from composting is called humus, which is rich in nutrients, and really good for the soil, so they could actually lessen the need for synthetic fertilizers (and the runoff, which is bad for waterways) by composting farm waste.
My dad always asks where all the animals would go. I genuinely have never been able to come up with anything better than that it’s so unlikely to happen that everyone would go vegan at once, that it’s just a distraction from the true arguments. But it can be kind of an interesting thought. What would we do with all the animals that have been grown for ‘food’?Would we try to just home them with people as pets? 🤷🏼♀️
When you read the study into detail, you will see it is obvious the come with the conclusion that a drop in GHG emissions is lower than expected and that US citizens will be nutrient deficient. All the grasland that becomes available will be plowed. In other words, you are turning carbon sinks into carbon sources. Otherwise, without animals, about 80% of the food that is being produced is grain or soy. They also suggest that the new cultivated lands will also know the same crop ratios. What they don’t tell is that large parts of this grain and soy that the US produces today is for feeding life stock. It is no surprise that if you don’t even consider to change crop types and do crop rotations, that you end up with calculated deficiencies. People with a bit of logic and common sense reading this study will see it is not a realistic scenario that is being presented.
Joel Salatin from polyface farms says the whole population can be sustained with beef and poultry coming from farms like his. Which encourages healthy soil and arguably negative co2 emissions due to healthy soil absorbing large quantities of co2. I haven’t heard a better argument for sustainability and following life’s natural rhythm yet. Just because plants don’t have faces doesn’t mean they aren’t living organisms with their own intelligence, fear of dying, pain senses etc. life eats life and it’s a natural and beautiful thing.
The topic of high greenhouse gas impact from animal production is extremely important, and I feel it is very simple to compute the impact per calorie or per gram of protein, that a particular food item has on amount of greenhouse gases. Attempts to show animal products use the same or lower fossil fuels and resources than plants are extremely weak. I get it. People ‘love tasty food’. The average person jumps right to the point when asked. That said, acclimation to different diets is possible and people do not seem to understand it. A big hurdle to get people to switch if their reluctance to believe that tastes can be changed. Of course, there are many others, including the biggest of all: social interaction with people who eat what they previously perceived as the most tasty foods. It is very difficult to overcome these factors as shown in the number of vegans that eventually quit the plan being 85% or more. There will be a critical mass of people when enough change. It won’t happen due to poverty because the worst foods are the cheapest. It will take government intervention.
Mic, tks for this. Just want to let you i saw an amazing yt article called “Dr mercola interviews Gabe..on yt “Regeneration of Topsoil and Land Management” It’s About no-till farming which takes CO2 out of the atmosphere, regenerates topsoil, avoids runoff. you get tastier more nutritious fruits and vegetables. unbelievable .but less yield the conventional way, they shouldn’t call a conventional because it’s really modern, uses phosphorus and synthetic fertilizer etc.
Bloomberg has a headline “Imagine a vegan US: good for earth but problematic for humans.” I came up with some other funny titles they could have used: “Imagining a Vegan U.S.: Good for Earth and Protein deficiency cured!” That’s right, with more soybeans produced protein production increased. “Imagining a Vegan U.S.: Good for Earth but Obesity epidemic worsens” They actually lament that since food production would increase by 23% people would get fatter. “Imagining a Vegan U.S.: Good for Earth but Depression skyrockets as all beloved pets die.” Yeah, in their world of no animal agriculture there would be no pet food available.
“The authors declare no conflict of interest.” Except that they work for the Department of Animal and Poultry Science and the US Dairy Forage Research Center and have spent their entire careers trying to improve dairy farming and beef production… Sources: researchgate.net/profile/Robin_White5 ars.usda.gov/people-locations/person?person-id=37501
I guess the guys that wrote this study forgot their laws of chemistry that mention conservation of mass and atoms in a chemical reaction. The fertilizer that the animals “create” was created elsewhere to begin with; namely in their diet which is plants… No need to create animal poop to fertilize plants. There are workarounds, and they are already being implemented in Europe on a large scale. Also, plant matter that isn’t used for fuel or food can also be turned into fertilizer – it’s called compost!
I live in Barrie Ontario and I went to a local health food store yesterday (I don’t want to say the name just in case I cause trouble for myself) looking for some food options and vitamins for my teenagers to help them along with this vegan diet change in which they aren’t always receptive to. So I asked the person working there what a good vitamin was for my kids and once he found out we were new vegans he said oh no!. He told me he was vegan for 10 years and he nearly died because of it and now he eats as much meat as he wants and vegetables but does not eat any starches. He said to me I sure hope you didn’t watch “What the Health” to make me decide to go vegan? (That was one of the doc’s I watched along with Earthlings too lol) Anyways it’s very sad when the store you go to for support on our new vegan journey has people like him working there to put a negative spin on what I feel is the best choice I could have made for myself, my family, ethical reasons and the environment. The worst part about this story is my 14 year old son who is fighting me every step of the way heard everything he said and is now even more adamant that he will never be vegan and he loaded up our cart with cheese, eggs and a chicken sandwich insisting he has the right to choose especially now since that dickhead made me look like a fool in front of my kid!! I knew this was going to be challenging but never expected how much! This is only one of my stories of the challenges we’ve had so far as I have many many more and we’ve only been on this journey for 5 short months.
this is one of the best article’s i’ve seen… period. I wish i could smack this article in the face of people who deny this shit. They really just are too lazy to make anything else, and grocer shop, they like meat too much & they HATE Vegetables. if anything that’s the reason why the U.S would be nutrient deficient if the world went vegan – Because Bob over here doesn’t feel like getting up and going to Aldi & doesn’t like broccoli without cheese or ranch.
Well, most of these animal feed crops WOULD likely have to be burned if the US went completely vegan overnight. The possible alternative uses for the crops/land would not have the instant demand to utilize them in time. Also, the nutritional deficiencies would be a problem- for instance, almond prices would instantly skyrocket if the entire population were dependent on them. But… It’s a nonsensical scenario. The entire US population isn’t going to go vegan overnight. If instead, the US population switched to a vegan diet over 5-10 years, all of these issues would be mitigated. And even that sort of rapid transition would require a hypothetical massive awakening type event. Honestly, the only reason I can imagine for setting up an overnight transition thought experiment, would be to cast veganism in the worst possible light.
Nailed it! Great job!! One more item to consider- the reforestation of just 41% of lands (those that were original forest) now used for to feed meat and dairy consumers, could sequester all the CO2 that has been added to the atmosphere by humans since since 1750! See this FACT SHEET for more info: bwar.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/FACT-SHEET-The-Case-for-Urgent-Transition-to-a-Vegan-Diet.pdf